This invention relates to dispenser apparatus for dispensing paper toweling from a roll of paper toweling. The invention also encompasses a method of dispensing paper toweling from a roll of paper toweling.
Many dispenser systems are known in the prior art for dispensing paper toweling from rolls thereof. In some cases the paper toweling is comprised of individual paper towel segments separated by perforated tear lines, and in others the toweling has no perforated tear lines formed therein, the user severing or cutting individual sheets from the toweling by some suitable means incorporated in the dispenser.
The dispenser system disclosed and claimed herein is of the latter type.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,880, issued Sep. 20, 1983, discloses a mechanism for cutting a web of flexible sheet material, such as paper toweling, which is adapted to be used in a dispenser having a feed roller and a pinch roller, between which rollers the web passes. A knife is pivotally mounted in the feed roller to swing about an axis laterally displaced from the plane of a radially outward portion of the knife defining a cutting edge which edge is projected outwardly beyond the periphery of the feed roller to cut the web as it passes over the feed roller. Cam followers are carried by the ends of the knife extending beyond the ends of the feed roller with the followers displaced from the pivot mounting axis of the knife. Stationary cams are mounted adjacent the ends of the feed roller which the cam followers on the knife engage to positively project the knife cutting edge beyond the feed roller periphery and retract the cutting edge upon rotation of the feed roller.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,386, issued Sep. 17, 1991, discloses a feed mechanism for feeding a web of rolled flexible sheet material, such as soft paper towels, out of a dispenser. The mechanism includes a feed roller within the dispenser and a web cutting blade in the feed roller and projectable and retractable therewith as the feed roller rotates. A contoured cam is attached to an end of the feed roller, and a spring-loaded cam follower presses against the contoured cam. The cam follower, through the cam, controllably assists in the rotation of the feed roller during the feed roller cycle when the blade cuts the web and thereafter to feed a free end of the material to an accessible position outside of the dispenser. The needed maximum pull forces by the user on the material to cut and withdraw the material from the dispenser are thereby significantly minimized, and the likelihood of the soft towel material tearing off in the user""s wet hands is reduced.
The patents discussed above in the preceding two paragraphs are but two of many patents directed to dispensers which employ cutter blades associated with a paper towel support roller to cut paper toweling supported thereby. Other known patents utilizing this feature are: U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,189, issued Aug. 15, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,386, issued Sep. 17, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,461, issued Dec. 15, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,392, issued Apr. 10, 1984, U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,033, issued Jan. 7, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,830, issued Sep. 15, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,279, issued Sep. 15, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,291, issued May 7, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,147, issued Aug. 4, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,361, issued Jul. 4, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,035, issued Jul. 11, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,711, issued Nov. 2, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,357, issued Apr. 28, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,837, issued Jan. 13, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,755, issued Nov. 11, 1986, U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,261, issued Feb. 21, 1984, U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,738, issued Oct. 31, 1978, U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,844, issued Feb. 19, 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,363, issued Jul. 22, 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,639, issued Dec. 29, 1981, U.S. Pat. No. 1,543,299, issued Jun. 23, 1925, U.S. Pat. No. 2,560,061, issued Jul. 10, 1951, U.S. Pat. No. 2,051,242, issued Aug. 18, 1936, U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,328, issued Apr. 20, 1971, U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,965, issued Jun. 19, 1973, U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,633, issued Feb. 5, 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,797, issued Jul. 7, 1981, RE.28,911, reissued Jul. 20, 1976, U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,120, issued Dec. 21, 1976, U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,691, issued Jul. 29, 1975.
The paper toweling dispensing system disclosed herein is characterized by its simplicity, reliability of operation and ability to operate in a quiet manner as compared to prior art devices also employing movable cutter blades, as represented by disclosures of the patents identified above. A very light pulling force can be used to operate the apparatus disclosed and claimed herein. Furthermore, the approach utilized by the invention disclosed and claimed in this application allows use of a smaller toweling support drum than would normally be the case in prior art systems employing a movable cutter blade to sever manually pulled toweling. This allows smaller sheets to be dispensed during each dispensing cycle.
The paper towel dispenser apparatus of this system is for dispensing paper toweling from a roll of paper toweling responsive to pulling forces being applied to the paper toweling.
The apparatus includes a housing. A roll support is associated with the housing for rotatably supporting a roll of paper toweling.
A rotatable toweling support roller is within the housing spaced from the roll support for receiving toweling from the roll of paper toweling and supporting the toweling. The toweling support holder has a cylindrically-shaped outer peripheral portion and is rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation when pulling forces are applied to toweling supported thereby.
The apparatus includes a cutter blade having a cutting edge. The cutter blade is pivotally mounted on a toweling support roller about a pivot located at the cylindrically-shaped outer peripheral portion. The cutter blade is pivotally movable between a first position wherein the blade lies substantially flat against the toweling support roller with the cutting edge thereof positioned closely adjacent to the cylindrically-shaped outer peripheral portion and a second position wherein the blade is disposed at an angle relative to the cylindrically-shaped outer peripheral portion with the cutting edge thereof spaced from the toweling support roller. The blade when in the second position projects from the pivot in a direction generally opposed to the direction of rotation of the toweling support roller.
The apparatus also includes blade actuator means for pivoting the blade between the first and second positions responsive to rotation of the toweling support roller due to a pulling force being applied to toweling on the toweling support roller and tensioning of the toweling. The cutting edge of the blade when the blade is in the second position engages toweling on the toweling support roller during rotation of the toweling support roller to sever the toweling due to the pulling force and tensioning of the towel.
The apparatus also includes towel transfer means for positioning the lead end of reserve toweling on the toweling support roller responsive to depletion of the roll of paper toweling.
The paper toweling dispensing system also includes a method. The method includes the step of positioning paper toweling extending from a roll of paper toweling and having a lead end on a rotatable toweling support roller.
The lead end of the toweling is pulled to tension the toweling and cause rotation of the toweling support roller.
While the toweling is under tension and during rotation of the toweling support roller, a blade connected to the toweling support roller is pivoted to bring a cutting edge of a blade into engagement with the underside of toweling on the toweling support roller and to a cutting position in which the blade is disposed at an angle relative to the outer peripheral surface of the toweling support roller with the cutting edge thereof spaced from the toweling support roller and the blade projecting in a direction generally opposed to the direction of rotation of the toweling support roller.
The toweling is maintained under tension by continuing to apply a pulling force thereto while the blade is in the cutting position and the cutting edge thereof engages the paper toweling to sever the toweling.
The blade is pivotally connected to the toweling support roller at the outer periphery thereof and the blade is moved to the cutting position from a non-cutting position wherein the blade lies substantially flat against the toweling support roller with the cutting edge thereof positioned closely adjacent to the outer periphery of the toweling support roller in response to rotation of the toweling support roller.
Other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.